Embedded Files
Introduction
Opening question: Ask students if they think it would be a good idea to give pop or a sports/energy drink to really young children, animals or plants. What would happen to them?
Possible answers:
sick
tired
wouldn't grow normally
may even die
Opening Activity: Show students one well watered plant and one plant who hasn't been watered well. Use the following discussion questions to help students explore the idea of hydration:
Which plant looks healthy and how do you know? (full of color, stand tall, firm)
What do you see in the unhealthy plant? (sagging leaves, limp stems, dull color, fallen leaves)
What would happen to our bodies if we stopped drinking mostly water and drank pop, fruit juice and sports/energy drinks? (The same would be true for us as it is for young children, animals and plants but could also include: more disease and injury, organs not working properly, headaches, foggy thinking). Drinks other than water have ingredients in them that can get int he way of what water is supposed to do for us.
Watch
Choose at least one video to watch.
This video gives a great overview of what water does for our bodies and why we want to drink plenty of it.
Ideal for all ages.
This video is great for understanding why it's important to drink water and why it is needed to be the best you can be!
Ideal for all ages.
This video will provide lots of cool facts about water, including what it's made of and where drinking water comes from.
Ideal for all ages.
Activity
Choose at least one activity to complete but enjoy as many as you'd like throughout the month.
Body of Water
Body of Water
Roll out a piece of butcher paper and have students trace an outline of each other while lying down. Then, to help them visualize how much of their body is made of water, have them calculate and color in 60% of their body. To help students find 60% of their traced body, fold the paper evenly 10 times, then color 6 of the sections in.
You could also do this activity outside using chalk or in the house using painter's tape on the ground.
Extension of the Body of Water
Extension of the Body of Water
Our bodies are 60% water but how is that water distributed? Use the chart below to label the parts of the body and organs where water is stored. Students who want to draw the organs in can do so!
Fruit and Veggie Demo
Fruit and Veggie Demo
What is the difference between a grape and a raisin? Water! The bodies of most living things are made of at least 50% of water. Demonstrate how much different fruits and vegetables are made of by cutting them based on their percentage of water. For example, a banana is 75% water. Cut a banana at 75% mark, explaining which piece represents the amount of water.
Banana: 75%
Carrot: 88%
Bell Pepper: 92%
Cucumber: 95%
Apple: 86%
Zucchini: 94%
Strawberries: 91%
Sparkling Water Taste Test
Sparkling Water Taste Test
Set up a taste test using a variety of sparkling waters to see if students can guess the flavors of each. A variation on this is to make your own infused water using plain sparkling water and 100% fruit juice. Some great combos include:
Blueberry and Lemon
Watermelon and Mint
Peach and Berries
Orange and Cucumber
Strawberry and Basil
Pineapple and Jalapeno
Make a poster
Make a poster
Have students create a poster using what they've learned to teach others about the benefits of staying hydrated.
Posters can include:
What water does for the body
How much of the body is made of water
Which organs contain water and how much
How much water people should try to drink a day
Ideas to increase water intake
Build an Aquifer
Build an Aquifer
To help students understand how pollution can affect their drinking water, help them build an aquifer in a cup with this activity from epa.gov.
Aquifer
Reservoir
Build a Reservoir
Build a Reservoir
Students can learn how water is stored through building their own reservoirs, which are holding tanks for drinking water. Use this activity from epa.gov for directions.
Sneaky Sugars
Sneaky Sugars
Make a list of students' favorite drinks other than water. Take the time to look up how much sugar is in each. Have students measure the sugar into bowls to really get a visual of how much sugar they are getting through these drinks.
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